> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dodopayments.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dynamic Pricing Checkout with Pay What You Want

> Create flexible checkout links with variable pricing using a single product. Enable Pay What You Want to let customers choose their price or set dynamic amounts programmatically.

**Dynamic pricing** allows you to offer variable pricing for your products without creating multiple product entries. By enabling **Pay What You Want (PWYW)** on a single product, you can set minimum and maximum price bounds, then pass dynamic amounts when creating checkout session links.

This approach is ideal when you need:

* **Variable pricing** without managing multiple products
* **Customer-driven pricing** where buyers choose their amount
* **Programmatic price control** where you set the amount dynamically via API
* **Flexible pricing models** for digital products, donations, or experimental launches

<Warning>
  Pay What You Want is only available for **Single Payment** (one-time) products. It cannot be used with subscription products.
</Warning>

## How It Works

With Pay What You Want enabled, you can:

1. **Set price bounds**: Define a minimum price (required) and optionally a maximum price
2. **Pass dynamic amounts**: Include an `amount` field in the product cart when creating checkout sessions
3. **Let customers choose**: If no amount is provided, customers can enter their own price (within your bounds)

<Info>
  When you pass an `amount` in the product cart, that amount is used for the checkout. If you omit the `amount` field, customers can select their own price during checkout (subject to your minimum/maximum settings).
</Info>

## Step 1: Create a Product with Pay What You Want

First, create a one-time product in your Dodo Payments dashboard and enable Pay What You Want pricing.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a new product">
    Navigate to **Products** in your Dodo Payments dashboard and click **Add Product**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure product details">
    Fill in the required product information:

    * **Product Name**: Display name for your product
    * **Product Description**: Clear description of what customers are purchasing
    * **Product Image**: Upload an image (PNG/JPG/WebP, up to 3 MB)
    * **Tax Category**: Select the appropriate tax category
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set pricing type">
    Select **Pricing Type** as **Single Payment** (one-time payment).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Pay What You Want">
    In the **Pricing** section, enable the **Pay What You Want** toggle.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set minimum price">
    Enter the **Minimum Price** that customers must pay. This is required and ensures you maintain a revenue floor.

    **Example**: If your minimum is \$5.00, enter `5.00` (or `500` cents).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set maximum price (optional)">
    Optionally, set a **Maximum Price** to cap the amount customers can pay.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set suggested price (optional)">
    Optionally, enter a **Suggested Price** that will be displayed to guide customers. This helps anchor expectations and can improve average order value.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the product">
    Click **Add Product** to save. Note your product ID (e.g., `pdt_123abc456def`) for use in checkout sessions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  You can find your product ID in the dashboard under **Products** → **View Details**, or by using the [List Products API](/api-reference/products/get-products).
</Tip>

## Step 2: Create Checkout Sessions with Dynamic Pricing

Once your product is configured with Pay What You Want, you can create checkout sessions with dynamic amounts. The `amount` field in the product cart allows you to set the price programmatically for each checkout session.

### Understanding the Amount Field

When creating a checkout session, you can include an `amount` field in each product cart item:

* **If `amount` is provided**: The checkout uses this exact amount (must be within your minimum/maximum bounds)
* **If `amount` is omitted**: Customers can enter their own price during checkout (within your bounds)

<Warning>
  The `amount` field is only applicable for Pay What You Want products. For regular products, this field is ignored.
</Warning>

### Code Examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  import DodoPayments from 'dodopayments';

  // Initialize the Dodo Payments client
  const client = new DodoPayments({
    bearerToken: process.env.DODO_PAYMENTS_API_KEY,
  });

  async function createDynamicPricingCheckout(
    productId: string,
    amountInCents: number,
    returnUrl: string
  ) {
    try {
      const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
        product_cart: [
          {
            product_id: productId,
            quantity: 1,
            // Dynamic amount in cents (e.g., 1500 = $15.00)
            amount: amountInCents
          }
        ],
        return_url: returnUrl,
        // Optional: Pre-fill customer information
        customer: {
          email: 'customer@example.com',
          name: 'John Doe'
        },
        // Optional: Add metadata for tracking
        metadata: {
          order_id: 'order_123',
          pricing_tier: 'custom'
        }
      });

      console.log('Checkout URL:', session.checkout_url);
      console.log('Session ID:', session.session_id);
      
      return session;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Failed to create checkout session:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }

  // Example: Create checkout with $25.00 (2500 cents)
  const session = await createDynamicPricingCheckout(
    'prod_123abc456def',
    2500, // $25.00 in cents
    'https://yoursite.com/checkout/success'
  );

  // Example: Create checkout with $10.00 (1000 cents)
  const session2 = await createDynamicPricingCheckout(
    'prod_123abc456def',
    1000, // $10.00 in cents
    'https://yoursite.com/checkout/success'
  );
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import os
  from dodopayments import DodoPayments

  # Initialize the Dodo Payments client
  client = DodoPayments(
      bearer_token=os.environ.get("DODO_PAYMENTS_API_KEY"),
  )

  def create_dynamic_pricing_checkout(
      product_id: str,
      amount_in_cents: int,
      return_url: str
  ):
      """
      Create a checkout session with dynamic pricing.
      
      Args:
          product_id: The product ID with Pay What You Want enabled
          amount_in_cents: The amount in cents (e.g., 2500 for $25.00)
          return_url: URL to redirect after payment completion
      
      Returns:
          Session object with checkout_url and session_id
      """
      try:
          session = client.checkout_sessions.create(
              product_cart=[
                  {
                      "product_id": product_id,
                      "quantity": 1,
                      # Dynamic amount in cents (e.g., 1500 = $15.00)
                      "amount": amount_in_cents
                  }
              ],
              return_url=return_url,
              # Optional: Pre-fill customer information
              customer={
                  "email": "customer@example.com",
                  "name": "John Doe"
              },
              # Optional: Add metadata for tracking
              metadata={
                  "order_id": "order_123",
                  "pricing_tier": "custom"
              }
          )
          
          print(f"Checkout URL: {session.checkout_url}")
          print(f"Session ID: {session.session_id}")
          
          return session
      except Exception as error:
          print(f"Failed to create checkout session: {error}")
          raise error

  # Example: Create checkout with $25.00 (2500 cents)
  session = create_dynamic_pricing_checkout(
      "prod_123abc456def",
      2500,  # $25.00 in cents
      "https://yoursite.com/checkout/success"
  )

  # Example: Create checkout with $10.00 (1000 cents)
  session2 = create_dynamic_pricing_checkout(
      "prod_123abc456def",
      1000,  # $10.00 in cents
      "https://yoursite.com/checkout/success"
  )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  **Amount Format**: The `amount` field must be in the lowest denomination of the currency. For USD, this means cents (e.g., \$25.00 = `2500`). For other currencies, use the smallest unit (e.g., paise for INR).
</Note>

## Step 3: Let Customers Choose Their Price

If you want customers to select their own price during checkout, simply omit the `amount` field from the product cart. The checkout page will display an input field where customers can enter any amount within your minimum and maximum bounds.

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  async function createCustomerChoiceCheckout(
    productId: string,
    returnUrl: string
  ) {
    try {
      const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
        product_cart: [
          {
            product_id: productId,
            quantity: 1
            // No amount field - customer will choose their price
          }
        ],
        return_url: returnUrl,
        customer: {
          email: 'customer@example.com',
          name: 'John Doe'
        }
      });

      return session;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Failed to create checkout session:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  def create_customer_choice_checkout(
      product_id: str,
      return_url: str
  ):
      """
      Create a checkout session where customers choose their own price.
      """
      try:
          session = client.checkout_sessions.create(
              product_cart=[
                  {
                      "product_id": product_id,
                      "quantity": 1
                      # No amount field - customer will choose their price
                  }
              ],
              return_url=return_url,
              customer={
                  "email": "customer@example.com",
                  "name": "John Doe"
              }
          )
          
          return session
      except Exception as error:
          print(f"Failed to create checkout session: {error}")
          raise error
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Common Use Cases

### Use Case 1: Tiered Pricing Based on User Type

Offer different prices to different customer segments using the same product:

```typescript theme={null}
// Student discount: $10.00
const studentSession = await createDynamicPricingCheckout(
  'prod_123abc456def',
  1000, // $10.00
  'https://yoursite.com/success'
);

// Regular price: $25.00
const regularSession = await createDynamicPricingCheckout(
  'prod_123abc456def',
  2500, // $25.00
  'https://yoursite.com/success'
);

// Premium price: $50.00
const premiumSession = await createDynamicPricingCheckout(
  'prod_123abc456def',
  5000, // $50.00
  'https://yoursite.com/success'
);
```

### Use Case 2: Dynamic Pricing Based on Quantity

Adjust price based on quantity purchased:

```typescript theme={null}
async function createQuantityBasedCheckout(
  productId: string,
  quantity: number
) {
  // Base price: $20.00 per unit
  // Discount: 10% for 2+ items, 20% for 5+ items
  const basePrice = 2000; // $20.00 in cents
  let discount = 0;
  
  if (quantity >= 5) {
    discount = 0.20; // 20% off
  } else if (quantity >= 2) {
    discount = 0.10; // 10% off
  }
  
  const totalAmount = Math.round(basePrice * quantity * (1 - discount));
  
  const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
    product_cart: [
      {
        product_id: productId,
        quantity: quantity,
        amount: totalAmount
      }
    ],
    return_url: 'https://yoursite.com/success'
  });
  
  return session;
}
```

### Use Case 3: Time-Based or Promotional Pricing

Apply promotional pricing during specific periods:

```typescript theme={null}
async function createPromotionalCheckout(productId: string) {
  const isPromoActive = checkIfPromotionActive(); // Your logic
  const regularPrice = 3000; // $30.00
  const promoPrice = 2000; // $20.00
  
  const amount = isPromoActive ? promoPrice : regularPrice;
  
  const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
    product_cart: [
      {
        product_id: productId,
        quantity: 1,
        amount: amount
      }
    ],
    return_url: 'https://yoursite.com/success',
    metadata: {
      pricing_type: isPromoActive ? 'promotional' : 'regular'
    }
  });
  
  return session;
}
```

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Set Reasonable Bounds" icon="sliders">
    Choose a minimum price that covers your costs while remaining accessible. Use a suggested price to guide customer expectations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Validate Amounts" icon="shield-check">
    Always validate that dynamic amounts fall within your product's minimum and maximum bounds before creating checkout sessions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Track Pricing Decisions" icon="chart-line">
    Use metadata to track why specific amounts were chosen (e.g., `pricing_tier`, `discount_code`, `user_segment`).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Handle Edge Cases" icon="exclamation-triangle">
    Ensure your application handles cases where amounts exceed maximum bounds or fall below minimums gracefully.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Validation and Error Handling

Always validate amounts against your product's minimum and maximum settings:

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  async function createValidatedCheckout(
    productId: string,
    amountInCents: number,
    minAmount: number,
    maxAmount: number | null
  ) {
    // Validate minimum
    if (amountInCents < minAmount) {
      throw new Error(
        `Amount ${amountInCents} is below minimum ${minAmount}`
      );
    }
    
    // Validate maximum (if set)
    if (maxAmount !== null && amountInCents > maxAmount) {
      throw new Error(
        `Amount ${amountInCents} exceeds maximum ${maxAmount}`
      );
    }
    
    // Create checkout session
    return await client.checkoutSessions.create({
      product_cart: [
        {
          product_id: productId,
          quantity: 1,
          amount: amountInCents
        }
      ],
      return_url: 'https://yoursite.com/success'
    });
  }
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  def create_validated_checkout(
      product_id: str,
      amount_in_cents: int,
      min_amount: int,
      max_amount: int | None
  ):
      """
      Create a checkout session with amount validation.
      """
      # Validate minimum
      if amount_in_cents < min_amount:
          raise ValueError(
              f"Amount {amount_in_cents} is below minimum {min_amount}"
          )
      
      # Validate maximum (if set)
      if max_amount is not None and amount_in_cents > max_amount:
          raise ValueError(
              f"Amount {amount_in_cents} exceeds maximum {max_amount}"
          )
      
      # Create checkout session
      return client.checkout_sessions.create(
          product_cart=[
              {
                  "product_id": product_id,
                  "quantity": 1,
                  "amount": amount_in_cents
              }
          ],
          return_url="https://yoursite.com/success"
      )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## API Reference

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Pay What You Want Feature" icon="dollar-sign" href="/features/pay-what-you-want">
    Learn more about the Pay What You Want pricing model and its capabilities.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Checkout Sessions Guide" icon="cart-shopping" href="/developer-resources/checkout-session">
    Explore advanced checkout session features and customization options.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Amount is being ignored">
    If your `amount` field is being ignored, verify that:

    * The product has **Pay What You Want** enabled in the dashboard
    * The product is a **Single Payment** (one-time) product, not a subscription
    * The amount is in the correct format (lowest currency denomination, e.g., cents for USD)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Amount exceeds maximum or is below minimum">
    The API will reject checkout sessions where the amount violates your product's price bounds. Always validate amounts before creating checkout sessions, or let customers choose their price by omitting the `amount` field.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Customer can't enter their own price">
    If customers aren't seeing the price input field, ensure you've omitted the `amount` field from the product cart. When `amount` is provided, the checkout uses that exact amount.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>